Tartan Two-Step

Trouble Wears Tartan #1

by Grace Burrowes

Scottish whisky distiller Magnus Brodie’s long-anticipated bicentennial batch of whisky has been sabotaged. His sole hope to prevent financial disaster? Buy the Logan brothers’ Montana distillery. It’s the only way to secure Bridget MacDeaver’s services as a “cask-whisperer.”

Bridget refuses to sell her grandpa’s distillery, even to save her brothers’ ranch. When an old enemy threatens, her only ally is the man who’s determined to steal her grandpa’s legacy—and her heart!

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance

170 pages, Paperback

First published April 11, 2017

About the author

Grace Burrowes started writing as an antidote to empty nest and soon found it an antidote to life in general. She is the sixth out of seven children, raised in the rural surrounds of central Pennsylvania. Early in life she spent a lot of time reading romance novels and practicing the piano. Her first career was as a technical writer and editor in the Washington, DC, area, a busy job that nonetheless left enough time to read a lot of romance novels.

It also left enough time to grab a law degree through an evening program, produce Beloved Offspring (only one, but she is a lion), and eventually move to the lovely Maryland countryside.

While reading yet still more romance novels, Grace opened her own law practice, acquired a master's degree in Conflict Transformation (she had a teenage daughter by then) and started thinking about writing.... romance novels. This aim was realized when Beloved Offspring struck out into the Big World a few years ago. ("Mom, why doesn't anybody tell you being a grown-up is hard?")

Grace eventually got up the courage to start pitching her manuscripts to agents and editors. The query letter that resulted in "the call" started out: "I am the buffoon in the bar at the RWA retreat who could not keep her heroines straight, could not look you in the eye, and could not stop blushing--and if that doesn't narrow down the possibilities, your job is even harder than I thought." (The dear lady bought the book anyway.)

To contact Grace, email her at graceburrowes@yahoo.com.

Reviews

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Scottish whisky, Montana whiskey, Montana cowgirl, Scottish distiller... decent romance. I think that I enjoy Burrowes' historical romances more.

[Seema · Rating 3 out of 5]

It wasn't bad..typical Grace Burrowes with a little too much legalese in between. Whisky,Marcus a Scottish distillery owner and a girl from Montana fall in love and after a few obstacles live HEA

[ceecee · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fantastic story about finding what you didn't know you wanted. Two people who come from different backgrounds, but with the same interest find themselves attracted to one another. Many stories appear similar to this one, but the differences lies in the detail. The two main characters have a common interest in owning a distillery and have a passion for whisky making.

I love how Grace Burrows is able to catch the subtleties in how whiskey smells and tastes. I see how two people from different worlds can have so much in common when they both come from distillary families who pride themselves in the product they make.

What a fantastic love story.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Usually I love anything by Grace Burrowes, but this Montana- and Scotland-set contemporary just fell a little flat. I didn’t understand a lot of the whiskey and legal subplots, and the main characters came together awfully fast for a couple who just met (even using romance novel suspension of disbelief standards). I’ll still keep reading the series, because the secondary characters were more interesting to me than the protagonists.

[Holley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The mystery of who sabotaged the whiskey isn't much of a mystery and there was a silly plot twist thrown in at the end, BUT... I enjoyed the characters, their interplay and their growth throughout the book. The descriptions of the different whiskeys made me think "ooh that sounds yummy", even though I'm not a whiskey drinker (or much of drinker these days). The side characters were well fleshed out and I hope to see them in other books.

[MELISSA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every time I read a Grace Burrowes story I am tempted to cut and paste one of my previous reviews of her work. I keep repeating myself with growing terms of the dialogue, characters, plot machinations and simply sheer enjoyment of the read. Instead, I will summarize. If you get a kick out of intelligent people acting intelligently and with heart, read this.

[Cassie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love almost everything by Grace Burrowes. This series especially has some creative endings that represent a compromise in the relationship.

[Mari · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5
slow start; glad I stuck with it.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pbs copy, novella style

[Mum · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wasn’t engaging. I wanted to like the story but it didn’t track. The characters were engaging at times but not consistently.

[Jack Vasen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book tells a complete story and begins a series which is loosely held together by relationships between ensuing main characters. I think you could read it in any order.

I enjoyed the relationships and there is also some subterfuge going on against both main characters. I thought Bridget's problem was solved a little too easily mostly because her antagonist was way beyond stupid.

I didn't think Magnus' problem was completely resolved or at least not how.